Aelic smiled at Mallik, but then he coughed and winced in pain. “The wolvin was far beyond my skill,” Aelic said. “It brushed me aside like an insect.”
“And if I ever find that wolvin,” Mallik said, “he will pay ten-fold what he did to you, and I will collect with my hammer!”
“Well, it should be easy to recognize it,” Aelic said, closing his eyes. “Before I fell, I saw Gabby take a chunk out of the back of the Sleeper’s neck.”
“I will remember that,” Mallik said.
“Kaliam,” Aelic called. His voice sounded weaker than before. “Kearn took her. He took Antoinette. He said he would take her beyond the Gate of Despair-that she would be tortured.”
Kaliam knelt by Aelic. “Aelic, do not fear,” he said.
“Kaliam, I know she wrongfully left our company, but we cannot abandon her to that dark place and-”
“We will not abandon her, Sir Aelic,” Kaliam assured him. “King Eliam has a plan for her rescue, of this I am certain. And even in that place, she is not alone.”
Aelic turned to look at his father. “What about Mother?” he asked.
“She was in Acacia for a time,” King Ravelle said. And in his voice there dwelled an ancient sorrow. “I have searched there many times, but in vain. I dispatched messengers there before we left Alleble to come here.”
“You were in Alleble?”
“Yes, all of Mithegard dwells there now-safer than being a close neighbor to the enemy!”
“It makes me glad,” Aelic said with a soft chuckle, “… even in such a time as this. For the Glimpses who serve the everlasting King should be together. Does it not seem so?”
“Yes, it does, my son. It is now as it always should have been.” King Ravelle looked up at Queen Illaria and shook his head slowly. “How so many, including myself, distanced ourselves from Alleble… abandoned Alleble… it was folly.”
Aelic nodded, coughed again, and then suddenly clutched at his stomach. He yelled and fell backward. Oswyn was there in a flash. He delicately pressed his fingers at various places on Aelic’s stomach. At one place he paused, felt again, and then he looked up grimly.
“Oswyn?” King Ravelle cried. “What is happening?”
“Mallik, Kaliam, please take King Ravelle outside,” Oswyn said gently, but urgency ran through his words like a current. Kaliam and Mallik firmly escorted King Ravelle from the room.
Some time later, Sir Oswyn and Queen Illaria emerged from the chamber and found Kaliam, Mallik, and King Ravelle sitting along a wide hearth.
“Oswyn!” King Ravelle exclaimed, and they all stood. “How is my son?”
“He is resting,” Os replied. “Aelic had worked himself up, and jostled his wounds before they were healed. A little more yarrow and Golden Tear I gave him, and now he rests.”
“Will he survive this?” King Ravelle asked plaintively.
“I cannot say,” Os replied. “But I suspect that those wounds which remain will-” A shrill scream followed by the breaking of glass cut Oswyn’s words, and they all raced into the house of healing. They found one of the nursemaids standing over Aelic’s empty cot. She wore a horrified expression and turned to Oswyn.
“My lords!” she cried. “Sir Aelic sat up and asked me for a flask of water. I was away just a moment. When I returned… he was gone!”
They gazed down at the cot, empty except for Fury in its sheath and the bloodstains on the sheets. Aelic was gone.
9
THE FIRST MOVE
A ntoinette woke to the eerie sounds of war horns echoing off the dark mountains of the Prince’s Crown. Startled, she rose to look out her cell’s single window. It was just barely dawn, and a sickly red haze enveloped the Grimwalk far below. Antoinette saw a dark line of knights snake slowly out from the Prince’s fortress. Antoinette had never seen so many soldiers-some on foot, some mounted-row upon row upon row. And now visible flying above them were huge black dragons. They were thick-limbed and had impossibly wide wings. Each dragon carried beneath it, dangling from a web of cables, what looked like a carriage filled with yet more troops.
There were waves of these dragon-transports, and they soon outpaced the soldiers on horseback and on foot below. But they all went to the northeast.
“Behold the power of Paragor’s hand!” Kearn said from behind her.
Antoinette jumped and spun around. “Kearn!” She sighed forcefully. “How long have you been here?”
“Oh, for some time,” he replied, walking casually to the bars of her cell. He ran a long, pale finger up one of the bars. “You seemed so anxious for news, and that, among other reasons, is why I am here.”
“And what news do you have?” Antoinette asked, suspicious of Kearn’s motives.
“Why, good news, m’lady,” Kearn said. “Today is a momentous occasion, for Paragor has unleashed the first wave of his final campaign. A force four times that of the one we spent on Mithegard and double that of the army we used to lay waste to Yewland. In a day’s time, the stubborn Glimpses of the Blue Mountain Provinces will be dealt such a blow that they will be unable to supply the help that your precious Alleble requires!”
Mallik’s folk, Antoinette thought. “This is not good news.”
“Did you think I meant good news for you?” Kearn laughed.
Antoinette ignored the slight and asked, “Why the Blue Mountains?”
“I would not expect you to understand my master’s strategy,” Kearn said. “Your Sentinel, Kaliam, saw firsthand the devastation at Clarion. And he knows full well that even now the Wyrm Lord is being nursed back to the strength he wielded of old. He knows the walls that surround Alleble will fail under the withering heat of the Wyrm Lord’s breath. So to whom would your mighty King turn to have the walls of his city rebuilt? The Blue Mountains, of course. Should they be allowed to fortify King Eliam’s walls, our conquest of Alleble would be… delayed. Paragor will strike first, and the Blue Mountain Provinces will go the way of Clarion!”
“King Eliam will go to their aid!” Antoinette said defiantly.
“He may,” Kearn replied. “This too works to our advantage. You see, King Eliam will know nothing of our attack until it is too late. Alleble’s forces will not arrive in time to stay the damage we will do to King Brower’s stoneworking equipment. They will have no way to transport their precious blue granite, and Alleble’s walls will remain vulnerable. Then the true strength of Paragory will be unleashed, and Alleble will fall!”
“Kern, you seem so confident,” Antoinette said skeptically. She twisted at the silver ring on her finger. “Do you really think it will be that easy to defeat King Eliam and his allies?”
“War is never easy,” Kearn said. “King Eliam has daunted Paragor at every turn. But the advantage is ours now… in numbers, strength, and strategy. We will win.”
Kearn and Antoinette stared at each other in silence as if the war between Paragory and Alleble were being waged in their gaze. With a flourish of his cloak, Kearn turned to leave the chamber.
“Wait!” Antoinette called to him.
“What is it, Lady Antoinette? I have duties.”
“Tell me something before you go,” she said, seeking his eyes with her own. “Why did you take my Book of Alleble?”
Kearn immediately looked away. “I did no such thing.”
Antoinette ignored his response. “You’ve been reading it, haven’t you?”
“Do not be absurd,” Kearn replied. He opened the chamber door and was halfway through. “What in The Realm would lead you to believe that?”
10
LEGEND OF THE THREE
P raise to the King that you have returned!” Farix exclaimed as he helped Kaliam with his dragon steed in the pens behind the Castle of Alleble. Farix looked among the other riders: Mallik, Nock, Oswyn, King Ravelle, Thrivenbard, Trenna Swiftfoot, and a few braves from Yewland he did not recognize. “Where… where is Sir Aelic?”
“I wish I knew,” Kaliam replied. “He was grievously wound
ed and seemed near to death, but Oswyn’s skills may have delivered him from that dark door. Yet, Farix, in the midst of treatment, Aelic vanished!”
“You mean, he has gone to the Mirror Realm?”
“I do not know. I need to seek our King’s wisdom on what this might mean.”
“Go, then, to the King’s chambers,” Farix said. “For he is looking for you also. Much has transpired in your absence. More of our allies have come, seeking refuge within our walls. Acacia and the other small realms closest to us.”
“Any word from the Blue Mountains?” Mallik asked.
“Nay. But that is not unexpected. They will be bearing slabs of blue granite and an array of equipment. It will take some time for them to transport such things.”
“True, but please bring word when we hear from them.” Kaliam turned to leave, but Farix stopped him.
“There is one other thing. Our citizens have begun to speak in whispers about the war. They are asking about the Three.”
Kaliam stared. “The Three Witnesses of Legend?”
“Yes,” Farix replied. “Naysmithe and others have been gathering. They are convinced that the Three are abroad.”
“I really need to see King Eliam,” the puzzled Sentinel said, and quickly took his leave.
Several anxious hours later, King Eliam’s throne room doors opened. Brilliant white light spilled into the hallway and Kaliam emerged. He seemed to be staring into a distant place that only he could see. He walked right by Lady Merewen, who had been waiting for him.
“Kaliam!” she called, and hurried to catch up. “Were you going to simply pass me by?”
He stared at her for many long moments before recognition dawned on him. “M’lady Merewen! Prithee, forgive my lack of courtesy. I… my mind was in another world.”
“What?”
“The Mirror Realm,” he said to her. “And perhaps, in coming days, all of us will be looking there as well.”
“You speak in riddles,” Lady Merewen said.
“I only echo the riddles spoken to me by our King.”
Lady Merewen took Kaliam’s hand. “Come, my Sentinel. Dark halls lit only by torches are no place to discuss such mysteries. Allow me to bring you to a brighter place where light may be shed on all that is unknown.”
Kaliam mumbled an agreement and Lady Merewen led him past the throne room doors on the right and then left at the next hall. A moment later, she stepped over a threshold and into a passage. From a distance it looked like a solid wall, for the stone inside blended wholly with the stone on the outside wall. At last, they passed through a pair of tall, arched doors that groaned of many years with little use as they moved them.
They entered into a glad green courtyard bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon sun. Tall white statues of fair maidens and strong warriors stood at the openings of flagstone paths that wound their way through a maze of blossoming hedges. Vines with tiny pink, purple, and blue flowers clung to the stonework, benches, statues, and walls, filling the courtyard with sweet smells and a feeling of safety.
“I’d forgotten about this place,” Kaliam said. “This courtyard brings peace to a troubled mind! I do not recognize the shrubs or the flowers that grow here now, but I would wager they have some curative potency. We best not let Sir Oswyn know of this place, or he may dig up all the plants to discover their secrets!”
Lady Merewen laughed. She led Kaliam along one of the green avenues until they came to a small fountain where many of the paths met. The water trickled happily down its three tiers, and its music joined that of the songbirds and the whispering wind.
For a long while, they sat on a stone bench near the fountain. “Now, tell me what troubles you.”
Kaliam inhaled deeply and began. “I brought Fury to the King… and the news of Aelic’s strange disappearance.”
“Mallik told me what happened,” Lady Merewen said. “Do you think Aelic still lives? Could he have gone to the Mirror Realm?”
“I do not know. But if he has, his twin, Sir Aidan, will come back to The Realm! If this is so, I would like to know when and where he will appear.” Kaliam sighed and rubbed his temples.
They sat and listened to the trickle from the fountain for a long time. At last, Kaliam said, “We are living in a time when legends come to life. First, the Wyrm Lord is freed. Then, the Seven Sleepers are called from their long slumber. And now, I learn that the three ancient heroes are real as well!”
“Who are they?” Merewen asked. “How will we know them?”
“My very questions to King Eliam,” the Sentinel explained, again rubbing his temples. “The King put his mighty hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘Kaliam, a time will come when all in The Realm will know the identity of the Three Witnesses, for a Herald will proclaim their arrival. So it is written in the Scroll of Prophecy.’”
“The Scroll of Prophecy?”
“Yes.” Kaliam smiled. “At last we gain the answer to one riddle. We know now that the Scroll of Prophecy is what was hidden at the core of the Ancient One. That is why Paragor destroyed that great tree. And now, he has the Scroll in his possession.”
“But why would he want it?”
“The Scroll of Prophecy is an ancient document. It came into existence at the beginning of all things when King Eliam saw the future of The Realm roll out like a blanket before him. He saw events that might later come to pass-if the beings of this world were noble and chose to keep peace. But it also showed what could come to pass if evil arose and The Realm became divided. The prophecy spells out two destinies for us all. With such knowledge, Paragor could bring about the destruction of Alleble.”
The sun slipped below the roofline, and the golden light was gone. Now gray shadow hung over the courtyard.
“Can we not stop him?” Lady Merewen asked.
“The Three Witnesses can,” Kaliam said. “But until they arrive, there is much we must do.”
“I do not understand.”
“King Eliam revealed to me that he has called another young champion from the Mirror Realm. He is to be the Twelfth Knight on a journey into King’s Forest.”
“King’s Forest?” Lady Merewen echoed. “Why?”
“This was another riddle, but not the last,” said Kaliam. “In the heart of King’s Forest, there lives an ancient scribe who served the King long before Alleble came to be.”
“But that would make him-”
“Ancient beyond count,” Kaliam said, finishing her sentence. “He is the only remaining Glimpse who can properly translate the Scroll of Prophecy. If Paragor knows of the scribe, and I fear that he does, he will seek him. The future of all things depends on who gets to the scribe first.”
“Alas, I have delayed you with my questions!” Lady Merewen cried, rising to her feet. “You must prepare the team!”
“Nay, m’lady,” Kaliam said. He took her hands in his and brought her to sit again at his side. “We cannot depart for King’s Forest until the warrior from the Mirror Realm arrives. Your questions have helped to clear my muddled mind. In the days to come, I will have much need of your sage advice.”
“What do you mean, my lord?” she asked.
“The final riddle,” Kaliam replied. “But by King Eliam’s request, I cannot share it with anyone.”
Lady Merewen looked up. Her teary eyes flashed blue. Kaliam put a hand gently under her chin.
They were interrupted by the slamming of the doors, heavy, frantic footfalls, and then a voice. “Lord Kaliam, Lady Merewen, are you here?!”
And suddenly, Elspeth appeared from one of the paths. She was out of breath, but that did not stop her from talking. “I thought I might find you here,” she began. “You must come to Guard’s Keep right away! Our messenger brings distressing word from the Blue Mountain Provinces: Paragor has Ludgeon under siege!”
11
A VISITOR FROM THE THREAD
W ide awake, Aidan tossed and turned in his hotel room bed. He stared at the soft g
low underneath the curtain from the outside lights and listened to the hum of the air conditioner. I’m never going to get to sleep! he thought. He turned onto his other side and lifted his head a little. Mom and Dad don’t seem to be having any trouble sleeping.
Aidan tried to see the little alarm clock radio on the bedside table, but it faced his parents’ bed. It cast a red light upon his mother’s face. Aidan felt a chill and looked away.
He shimmied down under the sheets and pulled the bedspread over his head. The day sure hadn’t turned out the way he had hoped. He had wasted most of his time with Robby. And Robby’s father had ruined the rest. Lord Rucifel. Aidan sighed. My best friend’s father is Paragor’s chief warlord-or at least, his Glimpse is. How am I supposed to fight that?
Things hadn’t gone very well with his mother either. When the airport shuttle dropped her off at the motel, she’d practically smothered them both in kisses. That was okay. But later that evening, when Aidan’s father had brought up the subject of King Eliam and the reality of another world, well… that was when things had gone sour.
“Everyone grieves in different ways,” Aidan’s mom had said as she slammed shut her suitcase. “And I know losing your father has been hard on you. But, the truth is, you were right to dismiss Grampin’s crazy ideas in the first place. The Realm, Alleble, King Eliam-it’s all the creation of some writer somewhere. You said it yourself… it’s a fairy tale.”
Aidan winced. His father gritted his teeth. “I was wrong,” he said sullenly.
“No, you weren’t. You were thinking clearly. You saw that Grampin’s mind was starting to go, and-”
“You think my dad was senile?” he asked. Aidan’s father pulled an old book from his suitcase and held it up like evidence. “He started writing about King Eliam and The Realm in this diary when he was in his thirties!”
That was when they had sent Aidan to fill the ice bucket and get some sodas from the machine at the end of the hall. By the time he returned, the discussion had ended, and an icy quiet had descended on the hotel room.
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